Logistics in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

Army Logistician, Nov-Dec, 2003 by Masahiro Fukuda, Robert O. Bosworth

The Japan Self-Defense Force maintains 15 hospitals throughout Japan to support its personnel and their dependents. The hospitals provide comprehensive medical support, including specialized surgery and medical care. In case of a national emergency, the JGSDF medical infrastructure and the Japan Self-Defense Force hospital network augment the medical units within the JGSDF.

Emerging JGSDF Logistics Initiatives

Three concepts are being considered to help the JGSDF reduce costs, improve efficiency, and leverage technology: a logistics headquarters, logistics support brigades, and an enhanced transportation system.

The JGSDF logistics headquarters concept involves a nationwide resource control system with centralized stocks. This system would reduce the quantity of stocks regional armies must maintain to support their forces. The headquarters also could include a logistics control center focused on distribution-oriented support. The JGSDF logistics headquarters would manage the Ground Materiel Control Command, the Central Transportation Management Command, and all five regional depots to make use of the management links already in place in these organizations. In addition to lowering manpower requirements at each regional army depot, this consolidation would reduce costs while improving efficiency.

Another concept under consideration is the establishment of logistics support brigades, which would replace each regional army's logistics support unit. Currently, the regional army commanders are responsible for their respective regional army depots, logistics support units, and medical units. If the JGSDF logistics headquarters managed the depots and the logistics support brigade took on the remaining support requirements, the regional army commanders could focus on tactical issues.

The third concept under consideration is an enhanced transportation system that uses advanced information technology to integrate transportation planning and facilitate coordination between transportation suppliers and users. A transportation management element would be established in the transportation unit of the logistics support brigade of each regional army. The transportation management element would include a headquarters section, a plans and operations section, and several terminal operations sections. The element would accept transportation requests, coordinate requirements, and monitor the receipt, sorting, and shipping of supplies. This concept would represent a major move forward for the JGSDF because it would integrate transportation links between the regional armies; improve coordination among the JGSDF, JMSDF, and JASDF; and expand opportunities for military and civil transportation agencies to work together.

A significant change under development is the shift of operational control of the JGSDF, JMSDF, and JASDF maneuver elements from the services to a Joint Staff Office. This change would allow the Ground, Maritime, and Air Staff Offices to focus on service issues. A JGSDF logistics headquarters would coordinate logistics support operations for JGSDF elements in the expanded joint environment of the Japan Self-Defense Force. The new Joint Staff Office is scheduled to be operational in JFY 2006.